D'Alessandro: 'Bergen-Bosco' is one of the great sporting spectacles in our state

Andrew Mills/The Star-LedgerBergen Catholic quarterback Tanner McEvoy lies on the turf after being shaken up in the first half during a clash with Don Bosco Prep.

In the 52 years they’ve staged this mass head-butt — the kind of annual encounter that requires a weeklong buildup of healthy hatred and competitive bile, if you seek to accomplish your goal — this may have been the first time the winning quarterback jogged over to the losing coach and announced, “I love you.”

That’s what Gary Nova did when it was over Saturday afternoon, and Nunzio Campanile immediately returned the salutation and the hug. Both meant it when they said it. Of course, the Don Bosco quarterback could have also expressed his gratitude to the Bergen Catholic coach for teaching him the skills that led to such a dominant show Saturday at Crusader Field, but some things don’t need to be said.

Indeed, this performance spoke for itself — precise, relentless, and remorseless, like a game of chess played before 6,000 screamers. If you want to put a numerical value on it, the 38-18 pummeling of BC officially established that the Ironmen are roughly 20 points better than the second-best team in the state, and now everybody knows it.

And to think: The Crusaders, especially quarterback Tanner McEvoy, were valiant. Mistake-prone, oh, yes, but you wonder whether they can play better if or when these two meet up again in the non-public Group 4 playoffs two months from now.

By then, Campanile will have to figure something out, in order to convince everyone that BC is still Bosco’s greatest rival, and not just another speed bump on the way to a state title.

Because when he was Nova’s mentor and Don Bosco’s offensive coordinator just 12 months ago, he knew the feeling of invincibility that the Ironmen take into every football Saturday.

“I think they know we can go toe-to-toe with these guys,” said Campanile, whose team was undone by three interceptions from the otherwise brilliant McEvoy, the converted wideout playing in his first big game as a QB.

“We’ll learn from our mistakes. We’re not a young team, but we’re young as far as our experience together. And things will get better if we stay positive. There’s another one of these coming.”

From a fan’s perspective, you welcome it, anyway.

This is one of the great sporting spectacles in our state, desecrated only by the horrid traffic coming off Oradell Avenue, but once you climb the bleachers you can’t take your eyes off it.

Media coverage was unprecedented — TV, radio, print, web. That kind of attention may be common in other parts of this country, but not here.

While we might not have phrased it so eloquently, you get the Bosco coach’s point.

It’s hard to appreciate the high school football culture if you’re not around it a lot, even if you’re cringingly ignorant (hello) about it. But you learn quickly that there’s something appealing about it on a gut level. To wit: We’ve been told for so long that so little matters to kids nowadays, but if you walk into this three-acre adrenaline pump like the one they had here, you know this game matters.

Essentially, they put their collective heart and soul into every snap, and you surmise that not a single one is daydreaming about the Algebra 2 homework due Monday morning. Priorities, you know.

But Bergen’s focus wavered, and its inexperience showed. The start was promising enough: The Crusaders drove 75 yards after the opening kickoff and scoring a field goal, then stunned Bosco with perfect execution of an onside kick. McEvoy drove his team again, and had a first down at the Bosco 14, and he could have sent a devastating message right there.

But that’s where the BC quarterback threw it to the wrong jersey (Lars Larsen, who returned it to his own 37), and it took Nova three plays to get the ball in the end zone, on a nifty snatch-and-run by Tom Schlett.

Bosco, which could have been in a 10-0 hole before its offense even hit the field, had a 7-3 lead and never trailed again.

“Nunz is very creative, but our defense held its own after that onsides,” Nova said. “We scored quick, and that put the momentum back our way.”

That was followed by another red zone failure by BC, and the first of two rushing TDs for Nova. It was 14-3, and everyone knew where this was going. The Ironmen have now beaten BC seven straight times.

Is there a nemesis out there? Not in Oradell. Not yet. Maybe not this year.

“We’ll go back to practice Tuesday and we’ll do it like we’re 0-0,” Nova said. “But we’re not going to say we’re the best in the state until we have that championship.”
Dave D’Alessandro: ddalessandro@starledger.com